Why the government’s haste in changing the health system could come back to haunt it

• However, in the health sector this need for speed entails policy risks that could come back to bite the government before the next election.
• The biggest such risk comes from the disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority-Te Aka Whai Ora.

More health sector confusion

• While the parts of the act referring to the Māori Health Authority have been excised, the act retains its primary focus on reducing health inequities.
• To date, health minister Shane Reti has avoided using the words “equity” or “inequities”, instead preferring a generic focus on improving health outcomes, including for Māori.
• But the planning and decision making mandated under the legislation still require government health agencies to address health inequities.
• Despite having misgivings about the re-centralisation of the health system, the government has not reversed the merging of 20 District Health Boards into Health New Zealand.

Health targets rebooted

• Other changes resemble initiatives introduced during the last National-led government in 2009, including specific health targets.
• The health targets involve specified performance levels, such as ensuring that 95% of patients visiting emergency departments are seen within six hours.

• Health New Zealand bears either the cost of continuing to fund security guards or the reputational risk of their reduced presence.
• The government may have already dented minister Reti’s chances of building positive relationships with health sector leaders and interest groups.
• The Māori Health Authority had widespread support from health sector groups.
• While governments often draw criticism from the health sector, few have done so quite this rapidly.

Tim Tenbensel receives funding from the Health Research Council. He is affiliated with Health Coalition Aotearoa.